Ball-caster.



No. 811,467. PATENTFD JAN. 30, 1906. J. WOLFE & G. F. PREGH.

BALL GASTBR.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 8, 1904.

Wi t names JOHN WOLFE AND GEORGE FRIES FREOH, OF CINCINNATI, OI-IIO.

BALIL CASTIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed November 8, 1904. Serial No. 231,936.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN WOLFE and GEORGE FRIES FRECH, citizens of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ball- Casters, of Which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to ball-casters, and has for its object to provide a caster which will not stick and which will permit a piece of furniture or other article to which it is attached to be readily moved in any direction.

A further object is to provide a caster that is simple in construction to enable it to be cheaply made and sold and which can be readily attached to furniture or other articles requiring a rolling support.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the caster, and Fi 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the two parts forming the casing of the caster.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 7 denotes a cup which contains the caster-ball 8. The cup is set in a recess made in the leg 9 of a piece of furniture or other article, and at its outer end it has a number of spaced laterally-extending flanges 10. The ball 8 is retained by a ring 11, which extends below the center of the ball, and thus prevents it from dropping out of the cup 7. The ring 1 1 has a number of laterally extending flanges 12, which are arranged to fit snugly in the spaces between the flanges 10 when the parts are assembled, forming a continuous flange, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. The cup is cut away, as at 13, and that portion of the ring 1 1 which fits thereon is also cut away, so that the outer faces of the flanges when united will be flush.

. It is immaterial how many flanges the parts have. This will depend on the size of the caster. For large casters it may be advisable to increase the number. The flanges 12 are provided with holes 14 to receive screws 15, whereby the caster is attached to the article. The cup 7 also contains two sets of antifriction-balls 16 and 17, respectively, which are separated by a circular disk 18, fitting loosely in the cup and in contact with the balls. The balls 17 bear on the caster-ball 8. This arrangement reduces friction to a minimum and permits the ball 8 to be freely rolled in any direction without sticking.

I11 assembling the parts the balls are :[irst placed in the cup 7, after which the ring 11 is placed in position, the flanges on these parts fitting, as heretofore described. The joints between the flanges are then struck, as at 19, with a center-punch or similar tool, which jams or mashes the metal together and causes the flanges to hold together by frictional c011- tact. The caster is fastened to the furniture by the screws extending through the holes 14, as shown in Fig. 1. The screws also tend to draw the ring 1.1 tightly against the cup,

which will prevent separation of the parts it the joint between the flanges should become loose.

Having thus described our invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

A caster comprising a cup containing a ball and having sp aced laterally-extending flanges, and aball-retaining ring fitting on the cup and having spaced laterally-extending flanges arranged to fit in the spaces between the flanges on the cup.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN WOLFE. GEO. FRIES FRECII. Witnesses:

EDMUND GRUBER, AnoLrn A. GRUBER. 

